Edmonton's River Valley

In Edmonton, the river valley provides leisure to residents and visitors alike. With more than 160 kilometers of maintained pathways and 20 major parks, Edmonton’s river valley is the largest urban park in Canada (City of Edmonton, 2022). The series of connected parks contribute to economic development in the following ways:

1. Income from Parks

The parks receive income through community rentals (i.e., weddings, family gatherings, community events), major event rentals (i.e., music festivals, such as Folkfest), and recreational businesses (i.e., golf courses, recreation centers, sporting events).

2. Employment in Parks & Recreation

Employees in Maintenance, Recreation, Rentals, and Park Management contribute to local economy. As the river valley is utilized by the community, this stimulates economic growth in Edmonton.

3. City Development

By developing and maintaining the river valley parks, the City of Edmonton increases its land value, real estate values (both commercial and residential), and increases city attractiveness, thus driving further population growth and economic development in the city’s future.

By developing the city’s river valley, Edmontonians have access to natural spaces to: practice environmental conservatism; increase overall health and wellbeing through recreational activities; and contribute to the culture of the city. The citizens of Edmonton are passionate about protecting our beautiful river valley; inherently nature conservation becomes a shared value among Edmontonians. The river valley therefore becomes a cultural asset to the city, which contributes to the city’s attractiveness for tourism, visitors, and future residents.

These cultural values have helped shaped Edmonton’s City Plan 2019-2028 and the Tourism Master Plan; they include values such as personal wellness, neighborhood vibrancy, and climate resilience (Connect Edmonton, 2019, p.11-16). Values such as these have an impact on the tourism industry. According to Explore Edmonton, visitors coming to Edmonton are expected to increase by 40% over 2019 visitation levels by 2030 (2022, p.10). Further, “not only does the visitor economy create jobs and generate revenue, it also drives awareness to our amazing city, and in turn, contributes to our city’s local economic vibrancy, future and quality of life” (Explore Edmonton, 2022).